Chong defends carbon tax, Peterson goes rogue

Just as Progressive Conservatives once needed to be convinced free trade was best for Canada, Conservatives now need to be converted to a revenue-neutral carbon tax, Michael Chong argued in the fourth official leadership debate in Edmonton Tuesday evening.

“For 120 years in this country, till 1988, the Conservative party … was resolutely anti-free trade. It had been part of the party’s policy for 120 years. But do you know what? Brian Mulroney in the 1988 free trade election did a 180 on free trade because he knew that fighting for free trade was the right thing for his children and his grandchildren,” Chong said.

“So to it goes with the fight for climate change. I’m committed to this policy because it is a Conservative policy that will do right for our children and our grandchildren and do right for Canada.”

What followed was light applause from the crowd — an accomplishment after being booed several times earlier in the evening when he raised his proposed tax.

“I’m a Conservative because I believe in Conservative principles and I believe in Conservative leadership. And sometimes that means taking difficult decisions in defence of your principles,” Chong defended himself.

Andrew Scheer had told Chong he’d never seen a revenue-neutral carbon tax.

“If Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, and a revenue-neutral carbon tax all see a dollar on the sidewalk, which one picks it up?” he joked.

Throughout the evening, just about every one of the other 12 candidates dismissed Chong’s policy, playing to the Alberta crowd estimated at around 500.

Brad Trost gave Chong a backhanded compliment for at least being honest.

“There’s two types of carbon tax: there’s the open, direct public carbon tax, which is what Mike is talking about. And then there’s the hidden carbon tax,” Trost said, referring to regulations and green energy subsidies.

“I want to get rid of both. Not just the one we can see in public.”

With Kevin O’Leary holding a simultaneous fireside chat at The Westin Edmonton Tuesday night, in defiance of the party’s refusal to change the debate format, Chong’s defence of his chronically unpopular carbon tax proposal was one of the debate’s more dramatic moments.

But it was Vancouver venture capitalist Rick Peterson who provided the entertainment.

After using the debate to announce he’ll be seeking the Conservative nomination in the Saint-Laurent byelection to replace Stéphane Dion, running that campaign while he runs for the leadership, Peterson, donning an Edmonton Oilers jersey, criticized Kellie Leitch’s campaign and accused Andrew Scheer of skipping work.

“Andrew, you’ve been a full-time politician all your life. You have been a couple of months, I think, in the insurance business. But you’ve been on the gravy train — I actually think you’re the lead engineer of the gravy train,” Peterson said.

Peterson was basing that on Scheer supposedly missing two-thirds of votes as Speaker in the House of Commons, while “making 170k”.

“He’s taking money from veterans, from you, from me, from the private sector, pocketing it … and he’s not showing up to vote. That’s not leadership.”

Scheer laughed before responding to Peterson’s attempted use of Jack Layton’s strategy from the 2011 federal election debate.

“You know, many people might not know this about Rick. He likes to poke fun at politicians, he likes to belittle the public service of everyone up here on stage … but what he doesn’t tell you is that he tried to get on that gravy train himself several times. He just couldn’t find anyone to elect him,” Scheer said to cheers from the crowd.

“Now, a little bit of parliamentary procedure for you, Rick. The Speaker doesn’t miss votes. He presides over votes. I didn’t miss those votes, I was in the Speaker’s chair while they were happening.”

Later, Peterson turned his attention to Leitch.

“Kellie … your campaign is a train wreck. What you’ve allowed happen is you’ve allowed the media to mangle your message,” he said. “We’ve been hurt by the polemic and the bad vibes coming out of that campaign.”

Suffice it to say, neither Leitch nor Scheer are likely to knock on doors for Peterson in Saint-Laurent.